Harry Ellis had a stellar career with his home-town club the Leicester Tigers and made 173 appearances during a ten-year career at Welford Road.
During that time, he went on to make 27 appearances for England and was capped by the British & Irish Lions on the 2009 tour of South Africa.
A persistent knee injury forced Ellis to retire from the game in 2010 but he has maintained an interest in the game by coaching at various levels.
Ellis first started playing rugby from a very young age and joined South Leicester as a six-year-old. He went on to represent the Midlands at every level and eventually joined the Leicester Tigers Academy and made his first team debut in France in 2001.
From that moment on, he never looked back and the local lad became a firm fans’ favourite on the terraces at Welford Road for the next decade, not only for his local connections, but for his tenacious spirit and deadly burst of pace.
As well as his international recognition, Ellis won all three rugby club competitions: the Anglo Welsh Cup, the Premiership and Europe’s Holy Grail, the Heineken Cup.
Getting children active
An injury that he picked up in training during the 2009/10 season eventually led to his retirement and, it was fitting that his final game for Leicester was against a local rival Northampton side that he had tormented for many a clash.
Now with a young family of his own, Ellis knows the importance of getting children active and healthy from a young age and that is why he wanted to become an ambassador of didi Rugby.
“It is a privilege to be able to support such a worthwhile sport for youngsters,” he said. “My experience of being a professional rugby player gave me so many benefits, both physically, socially and mentally.
“So for children to have the opportunity to play and develop by taking part in didi rugby at a young age is magnificent.”